MBTA threatens to cancel troubled contract

BOSTON (AP) — MBTA officials say they are considering canceling a $190 million contract for new double-decker rail cars because the work has been plagued by chronic delays and shoddy workmanship.

In a letter obtained by The Boston Globe (http://bo.st/10lsl6R ), state transit officials express deep frustration with the South Korean company building the 75 rail cars, Hyundai Rotem, declaring that "this seriously troubled procurement is at a point of crisis."

The letter, dated Dec. 21, details a litany of woes, including faulty chassis and wires damaged by errant drilling on 10 of the first coaches built.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority confirmed the letter's authenticity. Agency spokesman Joe Pesaturo indicated that the letter caught the attention of Hyundai Rotem, with company executives traveling to Boston this month to work out solutions.